Zdenek Zeman’s rock-bottom Pescara will host Vincenzo Montella’s resurgent AC Milan at the Stadio Adriatico on Sunday afternoon in what could prove to be a game full of one-way traffic.

 

The last outing between the two sides yielded a compact 1-0 win for the rossoneri, as a Giacomo Bonaventura strike early in the second-half handed Montella’s men all three points at the San Siro. Things have changed quite a lot since then, with Pescara’s manager. Massimo Oddo having been sacked in February and replaced by Zeman.

 

Since taking over the reins, the former Roma tactician's team has won just one game in five outings; an emphatic 5-0 triumph over Genoa, but things have gone downhill since then. Losses to Chievo, Sampdoria, Udinese and Atalanta have kept the Delfini at the foot of the table, as much as ten points behind 17th placed Empoli.

 

They’ve got the worst defensive record in the league, conceding 66 times, six more than Palermo. When it comes to getting the goals, Zeman’s men have fourth worst of just 29 with only Palermo, Crotone and Empoli posting an inferior amount. Gianluca Caprari happens to be their highest goal-getter with seven, followed by Ahmed Benali, who has racked up five goals.

 

As far Milan are concerned, their recent league run has brought them close to the top-four spot in the league. Montella’s men are just four points behind fourth-placed Lazio and five points clear of eighth placed Fiorentina. The loss to Juventus was disappointing, but the performance was rather satisfactory.

 

They have scored the ninth-most number of goals this season in the Serie A, getting 13 more than Sunday’s opposition- 42. Colombian star Carlos Bacca is their highest scorer with 12, despite enduring a tough run before the 2017.

 

The news regarding Ignazio Abate’s exclusion for the season was a disappointment for the rossoneri, but veteran midfielder Riccardo Montolivo is back in training, but is unlikely to feature so early. Suso, Gustavo Gomez and midfielder Andrea Bertolacci are also absent as they recover from their respective injuries.

 

Pescara’s Andrea Coda is also likely to miss the game, as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain, while Simone Pepe and Gianluca Caprari are doubts to feature against Milan.

 

 

Pescara: Bizzarri; Zampano, Bovo, Gyomber, Biraghi; Muntari, Crescenzi, Memushaj, Verre, Benali; Cerri

 

Milan: Donnarumma, De Sciglio, Paletta, Romagnoli, Vangioni; Kucka, Locatelli, Pasalic; Ocampos, Bacca, Deulofeu
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